I quote neurosurgeon and researcher, Dr. Russell Blaylock:  “While I am opposed to the use of statin drugs, if you must take them, at least take 100 mg of CoQ-10 a day in the form of ubiquinol.” Source: Blaylock Wellness Report, July 2009.   Muscle weakness occurs in all muscles when CoQ-10 is deficient because energy production is impacted.  Heart muscle suffers the most, causing heart failure.

Heart failure also comes from deficiencies of magnesium and the presence of MSG (mono sodium glutamate). This has to do with electrical conduction that produces heart arrhythmia.  First, regarding magnesium.  The majority of  U.S. residents are deficient in magnesium…so a little has to go a long ways.  It is necessary in 325 chemical reactions of the body, sometimes only as a catalyst.

Magnesium is extremely important in cardiovascular health. It plays a significant role in protecting heart, blood vessels and the brain.  In the laboratory it was found that cells low in magnesium aged much quicker.  Aging diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome…diabetes 2, some cancers, Parkinson’s, and osteoporosis all appear to be accelerated by low magnesium levels.

Magnesium regulates heartbeat, lowers blood pressure, relaxes cramped muscles and can stop acute asthmatic attacks. It works with calcium for optimum function of muscles. Without adequate amounts of magnesium and calcium, cramping of muscles occurs. Not a lot of magnesium is required in many of the body’s biochemical reactions because it acts as a catalyst; nonetheless a deficiency will be the weak link that breaks the chain of events in the body’s biochemistry.

Regarding the flavor enhancer, MSG:  It not only overexcites the nerve cells of the brain, causing damage, it also detrimentally affects the heart.

The coronary arteries of the heart have glutamate receptors in their endothelial linings. This makes them vulnerable to oxidative damage and inflammation.  Inflammation is the primary cause of all heart disease. (It damages cardiac tissue and attracts LDL cholesterol plaque, producing atherosclerosis).

Omega 3’s, especially the DHA ingredient, “has been shown to reduce over activity of the glutamate receptors and may do so in the heart muscle and the heart’s electrical systems”...according to Dr. Russell Blaylock.

Mainstream medicine, as well as alternative medicine, clearly agree that omega 3’s are beneficial in heart health. Many studies show all around better heart health and reduced arrhythmias  (that produce heart failure).

Both magnesium deficiency and significant amounts of MSG co-relate to arrhythmias and ultimately heart failures.

The “take away” from this information is make sure you have adequate levels  of omega 3’s (fish oil, flax oil, hemp oil), CoQ-10 and magnesium.  Avoid MSG (mono-sodium glutamate)…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: CoQ-10, heart failure, magnesium, MSG, statin drugs

Finally, the medical press is acknowledging the fact of more than twice the heart failure rate for those on statin drugs. The American Journal of Cardiology report demonstrated heart healthy patients placed on Lipitor (world’s largest selling drug) produced a 71% heart failure rate in a period of only 3 to 6 months.

It is well known and documented in alternative health literature; there is at least twice the heart failure rate for those taking cholesterol lowering drugs.  Why?

Statin drugs take out a liver enzyme that causes the liver to produce needed CoQ-10 and cholesterol. Your body produces three fourths of your cholesterol because it is essential for all cell membranes, steroidal hormones and vitamin D production. (only one fourth of cholesterol is obtainable from your diet)

The CoQ-10 is needed in all the 70  trillion cells of your body for energy production.  Here-in lies the weak link that causes heart failure. Cardiologist Stephen Sinatra reports the heart needs at least 4 to 5 times the energy that other tissues need.  When CoQ-10 is reduced the energy production by the mitochondria of your cells is deficient.  The heart muscle becomes weak and heart failure occurs.

Powerful self interests of drug companies do not want you to know this because the revenue stream for statin drugs is enormous… 20 billion dollars per year. Drug companies pay for research and patronize doctors with perks.  Drug lobbyists influence legislation.  The FDA (Federal Drug Administration) is understaffed and conflict of interest (ties to drug companies) is shown in some cases. The net result is the majority of medical doctors believe they are helping their patients by placing them on cholesterol lowering drugs.

I won’t waste your time re-iterating what I’ve already documented in a free 7 page report on cholesterol and CoQ-10…available here on this site.  If you are interested you can read the full report…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: cholesterol, heart failure, statin drugs

Your heart beats relentlessly, typically 100,000 times a day moving 2000 gallons of blood throughout your body in a 24 hour period. When heart failure occurs, due to a weak  heart, not enough blood with nutrients and oxygen gets to all your cells.  In addition, toxins and wastes build up and produce dangerous inflammation.

What are the symptoms of heart failure?  Here are the typical symptoms:

• Shortness of breath upon physical exertion
• Swollen ankles due to poor circulation
• Extreme fatigue
• Chronic cough, sometimes bloody
• Extreme weight loss or weight gain due to fluid accumulation

Ultimately organ systems begin to fail due to nutritional deficiencies, lack of oxygen, toxin build up and accumulation of fluids.

There is rapid and widespread inflammation, accelerated by toxins and waste products. Dr. Russell Blaylock tells us increased levels of inflammation co-relate to increased levels of heart failure.  The tests that accurately measure blood inflammation are:

• CRP (C-Reactive Protein levels)
• 1L6  (Interleukin-6)
• TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor)

Research has shown that heart failure patients have as much as 12 times the level of TNF…severe inflammation to say the least!

Why is inflammation so significant? It is extremely destructive to heart tissue, both the muscle and the electrical conduction that paces the heart. Toxins have free radicals that produce electrons that bombard other molecules and  wreak havoc on the DNA. The DNA is the genetic code in every cell.  When the chemistry of DNA degrades, a sick or diseased cell is produced.

A whole separate issue is the fact that inflammation in the blood vessels produces an accumulation of dangerous atherosclerotic plaque that can cause a heart attack or stroke.  Unfortunately the standard treatment for both heart failure and heart attack is to prescribe drugs to diminish symptoms.  The root cause of heart failure is not even addressed. Reduction of risk factors with healthy diet considerations, vitamins, energy supplements like CoQ-10, D-Ribose & L-Carnitine are needed.  The elimination of toxins and inflammatory irritants like excessive animal fats, trans fats,  sugar, and smoking seem ignored.  Drugs do not heal, nutrition and healthy lifestyles do.

How does the large intestine (colon) factor into the equation of heart failure and blood inflammation? A condition called “leaky gut” is emerging as a very significant health issue for the heart and health in general.  The condition of leaky gut occurs when allergic foods or foreign substances irritate the lining of the colon.  This causes the lining to expand and become more porous.

With leaky gut, large undigested particles enter into the blood stream along with bacteria. This triggers a huge response, sometimes violent, that taxes the immune system and produces raging inflammation.  As already mentioned this causes damage to the heart and linings of the blood vessels.  This creates a downward spiral in health that can result in death if it is not reversed…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: DNA, free radicals, heart failure, leaky gut

According to neurosurgeon and researcher,  Russell Blaylock, “…fatty heart is one of the most common, unrecognized diseases in America today…”

With obesity recognized as existing in over 60% of the U.S. population, this is surprising.  Diabetes II, also a common problem that produces abdominal fat, likewise co-relates to fatty heart.

You may be wondering why fat in the heart can be a significant problem. The reason why is that fat produces toxins… and fat tissue in muscle beds of the heart is especially bad.

There are a lot of free radicals generated in the heart tissue which cause inflammation, and cholesterol plaque formation…thus weakening heart function.

Statistically, upon autopsy, it was found in a study  at the Texas Heart Institute,  that 30% of the heart failure victims had high levels of lipids (fats) and low levels of a necessary fat metabolizer, “L-Carnitine”.

The obese and type II diabetes patients had the worst levels of inflammation and were deficient in L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine is required in fat metabolism into energy.  Fats produce more toxins in the form of cytokines and free radical agents…the inflammatory irritants.

It was further noted there appeared to be an association with cellular insulin resistance, the very cause of diabetes II. This does not mean fat was the cause of diabetes II but probably contributed to it.

While fat is the major source of heart muscle energy, some estimate 75% of the energy, it must be properly metabolized or else it becomes stored into fat beds of the various organ systems. Fat metabolism is thwarted by inflammatory cytokines and free radicals.  Fats toxins inhibit energy utilization by the very heart muscle that needs it. Lipases and L-Carnitine are needed in the conversion of fats into energy.

Dr. Russell Blaylock (and most alternative heart doctors) especially recommend L-Carnitine because it is necessary for the conversion of long chain fatty acids into ATP energy. Also lipases  that come in the good fats of the diet are enzymes that facilitate this fat conversion into energy.

Most alternative heart doctors also highly recommend CoQ-10 (also essential in energy conversion) for the prevention of heart failure. Heart failure occurs when heart muscle is weakened by lack of energy.

Strengthening the heart with other supplemental nutrients and phytonutrients (from plants) is highly recommended by the alternative heart doctors.

All of this goes back to the same bottom line:  “Diet is a hugh factor in prevention of obesity, the accumulation of fatty heart tissue, and ultimately heart failure with death…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, diabetes II, fatty heart, heart failure, obesity L-Carnitine

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is also related to CoQ-10 levels. As much as 39% of  the hypertension patients were found to be deficient in CoQ-10.  A study was done that was followed by the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in this regard.

The study gave an average dose of CoQ-10, consisting of 225 mg, each day.  This supplementation caused a reduction of hypertension from 159 to 147 mm/Hg for the systolic blood pressure.  The diastolic blood pressure was reduced from the average of 94 to 85 mm/Hg. This occurred within 3 to 4 months of supplementation.

Age and numerous drugs reduce the body’s levels of essential CoQ-10. The body’s natural production of CoQ-10 starts declining at the early age of 20 years.  It makes a lot of sense to to supplement with a good CoQ-10.  The ubiquinol form is best, because the common ubiquinone is only 4% bio-available…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: CoQ-10, heart failure, hypertension

Many prescription drugs, especially statins, and 120 other ones, as well as aging, cause decline of CoQ-10 enzyme. It is crucial for the energy “firing” of all cells , especially muscle.  The heart needs more CoQ-10 than any other organ. Without CoQ-10 the heart is weak and congestive heart failure results.

Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) deplete CoQ-10. There are cardiologists who are aware of this.  Here is a handful of those who are aware of this and recommend supplementation of CoQ-10 to treat or prevent heart failure. Dr. Steven Sinara, cardiologist and nutritionist, lists these cardiologist colleagues: Dr’s Jim Roberts, Peter Langsjoen, Lee Cowen, Marc Silver, Stephen Devries and Howard Elkia.

Unfortunately many doctors, even cardiologists, are either unaware of this or ignore it.  If I had congestive heart failure risk (God forbid) due to statin drugs, I would not be without supplementation.  Dr. Sinatra stated in his heart newsletter “if I were marooned on an island and could have only one supplement, it would be CoQ-10.” He recommends 200 mg per day.

It is noteworthy that more than one study has shown that those on cholesterol lowering drugs have twice the heart failure rate…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

Technorati Tags: congestive heart failure, CoQ-10, heart failure

Here is the problem I have with this. I believe evidence indicates it is unnecessarily expensive, unhealthy and a drug “rip off”.  Lipitor is reportedly the largest selling drug in the world, generating over 12 billion dollars for its parent company, Pfizer.

According to an alternatives researcher Gary Null, PhD., the ingredients of the pill cost 5.8 cents per pill.  It typically sold for $2.72.  Some doctors say more like $3.00 to $5.00 per pill.

If it were a scarce commodity, I could understand the enormous profit, but it is not.  If its benefits outweighed the negatives I probably would not complain. They do not. I see the sum total of good benefits are far outweighed by the bad ones. There is compelling evidence that statin drugs like Lipitor are a health hazard…studies show no significant co-relation to reduction in heart disease.

Many well controlled studies show muscle weakness in two thirds of those on cholesterol lowering drugs. (The Co enzyme, CoQ-10, is taken out with the statin drugs, causing muscle weakness especially for the heart.) According to cardiologist Steven Sinatra any slight improvement in heart attack from cholesterol lowering drugs can be explained by its mild anti-inflammatory effect. There are other more potent, less expensive, anti-inflammatory supplements.

The many cortico-steroid hormones from the adrenal cortex…testosterone, estrogens, cortisol (stress hormone) and dozens more… manufacture their hormone using the core molecule of cholesterol. Excessive depletion of cholesterol reduces these hormones as well as one of the most important vitamins to your bone health and immunity…vitamin D.

According to board certified cardiologist, Steven Sinatra, M.D., he reports that the heart failure rate of people on statin drugs (like Lipitor) is twice that of the rest of the population.

I should explain the rationale of why the idea of cholesterol lowering seemed like a good idea in order to reduce the incidence of heart disease.  Cholesterol plaque that chips off from blood vessels and plug the coronary vessels in the heart, are found in heart attack victims.  Also those plugs of plaque that block cerebral vessels of the brain cause stroke.  The simple reasoning was that lowering circulating cholesterol would lower heart attack and stroke.  Wrong!

Plenty of creditable studies have shown that the amount of circulating cholesterol does not determine whether you have a stroke or heart attack. Half the people who have heart attack are supposedly in the safe, low range statistically. Numerous studies have shown that the amount of blood cholesterol does not co-relate with a stroke or heart attack.  People with high cholesterol sometimes have no more, or can even have fewer, heart attacks than those with low cholesterol. (That includes the high ratio of LDL…the “bad kind”). The real culprit is inflammation in blood vessel linings…which  attracts cholesterol.

For more information on this subject, keep in touch through this free blog for more valuable information on heart disease and health in general. From time to time I will make posts that mainstream medicine does not address. Forward this to a friend or give them my blogsite @ http://naturalhealthsecrets.ws Denis Van Loan, DDS

Technorati Tags: cholesterol, heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, high cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, Lipitor, low cholesterol, statin drugs, stroke